History HarsherInHindsight / LiveActionTV

** The hunter accusing Sam of bringing about the Apocalypse is a lot less funny when you realize that he ( [[SoUnfunnyItsFunny and Dean]], [[BottomoftheBarrelJoke it was a]] [[IncrediblyLamePun team effort]] ) actually does end up bringing about the Apocalypse, albeit accidentally.

* In one episode of ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'', there is a rather unpleasant scene where Ray tells Debra that he found out that their daughter Ally has been bullying another girl on the school bus. Debra shrugs it off, saying she doesn't think it's a big deal and that it's just kids being kids. When Ray asserts that bullying is indeed a big deal and notes that he and Robert are still scarred from their own experiences, Debra smirks and calls him a wuss, and then starts calling Ray names. [[UnfortunateImplications The studio audience roars with laughter and approval during the whole scene]], which was filmed in 2000. Fast-forward a decade later, and [[TeensAreMonsters the recent spate of high-profile bullying-related suicides, the bullying of an elderly school employee by children (on the school bus, no less), and other bullying-related incidents]] makes this scene more uncomfortable now. It really makes one imagine that a studio audience in 2010 or 2012 would be much more likely to cringe than laugh during that scene, really making Ray look like the OnlySaneMan.

** The "Hurricane on Sesame Street" story arc became this when Hurricane Sandy struck New York in 2012.

* In ''Series/TwentyFour''[='=]s third season, after Tony learns that Michelle [[spoiler:is trapped inside a hotel whose inhabitants are infected with the Cordilla Virus]], Ryan Chappelle tells him that the best way to focus is to assume the worst and think about getting revenge. [[spoiler:In Season 7, Tony's desire for revenge for Michelle's death at the start of the fifth season leads him to attempt to curry favor with the main antagonists so that he can meet up with and kill the man responsible, even if thousands of innocent civilians die in the process]].

** In the episode "Jack Meets Dennis", Pete wonders if they'll be preempted by a national news event and says "how's UsefulNotes/GeraldFord's health?" Gerald Ford died less than a month after the episode aired, and the line was edited out of the DVD release.

** In Season 3, Jack gets someone to pretend like he was Creator/BillCosby in order to get Tracy to come back to the show after he (temporarily) quit. Tracy goes on a tirade about how Cosby had done something unspeakable with his aunt in 1971. In 2014, comedian Hannibal Buress went viral with a bit that mentioned Cosby had 13 rape accusations. This, over time, led to ''more than fifty women'' coming out and accusing Cosby of sexual assault in the few years since Hannibal's bit. Cosby was convicted on sexual assault charges in 2018. Considering Burress was a writer on the show, this may be more a deliberate reference to an open secret in show business (much like the show's jokes about Harvey Weinstein).
* ''Series/SeventhHeaven'' had the Season 4 episode "Talk to Me" where Reverend Eric Camden (played by Stephen Collins) counsels a young girl who was molested. 14 years after the episode was aired, TMZ leaked an audio recording of Collins admitting to now ex-wife Faye Grant that he had molested several underage children decades before. The fallout from the scandal probably destroyed the reputation of the entire series as well, as Eric was portrayed as a caring father and pastor who sought to bring his family together in times of stress. Having an actor who was the opposite of that personality is truly shocking. Pretty much any scene in which he looks at or touches or thinks about an underage girl is now this trope, especially since he admitted it was true.

** During the 1993 Academy Awards show, Billy Crystal joked that cult leader David Koresh, holed up with his followers at the Branch Davidian Compound in Texas at the time, would be performing "Friend Like Me" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' via satellite ("You ain't never had a friend like me!"). [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_siege Given the gruesome outcome of that standoff]], the joke isn't as funny now.

* ''Series/AllInTheFamily'': Archie and Edith's daughter Gloria and her boyfriend--later husband--Mike were the two other main characters on the show, soon joined by their son Joey. However, the scenes with Mike and Gloria being a loving couple are difficult to watch when you're aware that the spinoff ''Gloria'' was about her making it as a single mother after Mike divorced her, also becoming a DisappearedDad to their son.
* ''Series/AllMyChildren''. In 1997, Maria Santos was "killed" in a plane crash, devastating her husband Edmund. Four years later, the couple (who also were married in RealLife) nearly met with the same fate -- they were scheduled to be passengers on American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to hit the World Trade Center, but postponed to a later flight because she felt ill due to her pregnancy and wanted to sleep in.
* The LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek ''Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy'' portrays the title character as a careless, sociopathic party girl who killed somebody in a sex game gone wrong, with her conviction for murder presented as justice delivered. In real life, not only was the real Amanda Knox acquitted four years later, the prosecution that first convicted her was utterly excoriated for the glaring errors it made, most notably the fact that the lead detective believed the murder to be part of a Satanic ritual without any evidence.

** The Season 1 VerySpecialEpisode "It's Only a Test" has a B-plot where Brenda Walsh (played by Creator/ShannenDoherty) discovers a lump on her breast, forcing her to get a biopsy. In 2015, Doherty revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

** In "That Was No Lady", first aired on December 21, 1985, Sophia tempers Rose's excitement over borrowing Blanche's flashy car, noting that it isn't "a seat on the Space Shuttle." About five weeks later, on January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on launch, killing all seven aboard, and the Space Shuttle program was grounded for two years.

** There is an episode in which the girls, in the end, made a pact to always take care of each other, even if it means going to the same nursing homes. Having made the promise, Rose (played by Creator/BettyWhite) asks the ArmorPiercingQuestion: "What happens when there's only one of us left?" Fast forward to New Year's Eve 2021 when White was the last member of the main cast to die (making that line from her ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'' monologue, about how she uses an Ouija board instead of Facebook to contact old friends, really sad in an episode that's otherwise considered one of the funniest in recent memory). To rub salt in the wound, the oldest character on the show Sophia (played by Estelle Getty) nonchalantly replies that she'll be able to take care of herself at that point. Getty would be the first of the four to pass away despite being younger than co-stars White and Bea Arthur.
** In an episode that first aired on December 21, 1985, Sophia tempers Rose's excitement over borrowing Blanche's flashy car, noting that it isn't "a seat on the Space Shuttle." About five weeks later, on January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on launch, killing all seven aboard, and the Space Shuttle program was grounded for two years.

** The first words ever filmed for ''Glee'' was the question to Finn when Will blackmails him into joining the glee club: "Want to tell me how long you've had a drug problem?" As if that's not bad enough, that would have been the scene that Cory auditioned with.

** A really horrific RealLife one; in Season 3, it is revealed that Finn's father did not die in the military, but from a fatal drug overdose. Two years later, Finn's actor, Cory Monteith, died the same way.
*** Similarly in Season 2 (Furt), when Finn asks, "Is this one of those interventions?"
*** Will blackmailing Finn into joining the Glee club by planting drugs in his locker already was a bit much for some considering Cory Monteith's history, but after his death, it becomes very hard to watch.

*** A season earlier, in "The Spanish Teacher", Will asks the club where they think they'll be in 2030. Puck replies "In jail. Or dead. Or both." Mark Salling died by suicide in 2018 while awaiting sentencing after entering a guilty plea on his child pornography charges.

** During the episode where the gang, Red, and Bob went to see a wrestling match, Donna starts wrestling Eric, only for Eric not to wrestle back, and Hyde quip "why would he?" when Donna asks about it. Additionally, when Hyde takes the fall for Jackie buying pot, the gang makes so cracks about Hyde becoming someone's "girlfriend" while in jail. Danny Masterson, who played Hyde, was fired from ''Series/TheRanch'' after being accused of rape.

* ''Series/FamilyFeud'': On an episode, the question was something along the lines of "Name something people think of when they're depressed/have a problem." One of the unrevealed answers wound up being "suicide"; the episode was hosted by Ray Combs, who later died of suicide after being unceremoniously fired from the show, a string of show-business failures, and an automobile accident that left him partially paralyzed. During the show, he even remarked, "No one should think of suicide." Bad survey group! Bad!"

** [[StrawmanPolitical The show ruthlessly attacks the political left-wing]], [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong frequently deriding them as mindless contrarians with baseless criticisms of moderate politics]]. To those watching with the benefit of hindsight, they would see these dismissals of the left-wing as a major factor that led to the rise of far-right leaders, most notably Donald Trump's surprise win against Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election.

** The "Peg is pregnant" story arc ended up becoming this after Katey Sagal experienced a stillbirth. To retcon this, the writers had to make the whole thing Al's dream... which was, itself, Al's initial reaction upon hearing that Peg was pregnant.

** During the summer of 2013, political pundits were already speculating about the 2016 presidential election, leading guest host Creator/JohnOliver to do a segment called "Can't You At Least Wait Until Creator/JonStewart Gets Back?". However, in August 2015, Jon Stewart stepped down as host of the Daily Show, so he didn't get to skewer the 2016 election. He ends that same segment by begging Donald Trump to run because it would be hilarious. ''Then Trump was elected President in 2016.''

** Future Ted is voiced by Creator/BobSaget who narrates the events from 2030. Saget passed away on January 9, 2022.

** Lest anyone think Phil Hartman's death is the only FAM material on ''{{Series/NewsRadio}}'', the AbortedArc with a character played by Lauren Graham being brought in as Mr. James' "Plan B" for the station became a little cringe-worthy in 2009 when Lauren Graham replaced ''Series/NewsRadio'' alumnus Maura Tierney on ''Series/{{Parenthood}}'' after Tierney left to undergo treatment for breast cancer.

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'':
** Notable examples include the host segments of ''Film/TheIncredibleMeltingMan'' where Crow's pet script is [[ExecutiveMeddling butchered beyond recognition and has awkward casting decisions forced upon by the Mads]] was originally a reference to their experiences with TheMovie. However, the following year, Crow's voice actor was replaced by Bill Corbett who also had a pet script of his own which would eventually be made into a major motion picture... and to which the exact same thing happened, with the end result (''Film/MeetDave'') ending up reviled by audiences and critics.

* ''Series/{{Babylon 5}}'':
** In the episode "And the Sky Full of Stars", Sinclair is tortured and driven mad during an interrogation attempt, including seeing and hearing things that aren't real. At the end of the season, he ends up leaving the station. In 2013, series creator Creator/JMichaelStraczynski revealed that Sinclair's actor Creator/MichaelOHare, left the series because he was suffering from severe mental illness (namely schizophrenia). It's hard to watch "Sky Full of Stars" without thinking that it probably contributed to his illness, and in any case had to have been ''harrowing'' to film.
** In "[[{{Recap/BabylonFiveS03E04PassingThroughGethsemane}} Passing Through Gethsemane]]" Ivanova challenges "Brother Edward" to bet on the outcome of a chess match. Edward makes a joke that "gambling is one of the lesser sins. I've always felt that if you're gonna sin ''you should go for one of the really big ones''." [[spoiler:Turns out "Brother Edward" is actually a mind-wiped serial killer named Charles Dexter, who murdered nine women on an Earth colony. "One of the really big ones" indeed.]]

* On this theme, [[hhttps://youtu.be/hi-bo5O3qVI?t=1358 a sketch on]] ''Series/NotTheNineOClockNews'' broadcast in 1980, depicts Creator/RowanAtkinson, Creator/MelSmith and Creator/GryffRhysJones forcibly abducting a group of terrified and crying children and forcing them into the back of a van. As it drives away, the logo on the side of the van reveals that they are working for the Creator/{{BBC}} and are in fact rounding up the studio audience for the Rolf Harris show on childrens' [=TV=], with the implication that none of them would have attended willingly. Four decades on, the idea of children being forced onto a television show hosted by an entertainer who now has a record for sexual crime would be even more edgy.

* On this theme, [[https://youtu.be/hi-bo5O3qVI?t=1444 a sketch on]] ''Series/NotTheNineOClockNews'' broadcast in 1980, depicts Creator/RowanAtkinson, Creator/MelSmith and Creator/GryffRhysJones forcibly abducting a group of terrified and crying children and forcing them into the back of a van. As it drives away, the logo on the side of the van reveals that they are working for the Creator/{{BBC}} and are in fact rounding up the studio audience for the Rolf Harris show on childrens' [=TV=], with the implication that none of them would have attended willingly. Four decades on, the idea of children being forced onto a television show hosted by an entertainer who now has a record for sexual crime would be even more edgy.

** In "[[Recap/FireflyE01Serenity Serenity]]", when the federal agent falls apart early on in Jayne's interrogation of him, Jayne laments "I was going to get me an ear, too," while playing with his knife. Later on in the series, [[spoiler: Niska's interrogator cuts off Mal's ear with a knife as "compensation" for Zoe]].

** In the fourth season episode "My First Kill", Dr. Cox tells J.D. that every doctor eventually kills a patient. When J.D. asks if ''he's'' ever killed a patient, Cox replies, "No, but I'm the exception that proves the rule". The following season, he ends up killing ''three'' patients and becomes almost catatonic with guilt.